U.S. patent application number 13/272519 was filed with the patent office on 2012-02-09 for code symbol reading apparatus.
This patent application is currently assigned to TOSHIBA TEC KABUSHIKI KAISHA. Invention is credited to Hitoshi Iizaka, Hidemi Mihara, Hidehiro Naito, Osamu Tsuchiya, Yoshiya Yamada.
Application Number | 20120031974 13/272519 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 41132342 |
Filed Date | 2012-02-09 |
United States Patent
Application |
20120031974 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Yamada; Yoshiya ; et
al. |
February 9, 2012 |
CODE SYMBOL READING APPARATUS
Abstract
A housing is mounted on a counter on which a basket for
containing a commodity to be purchased is placed and is disposed at
a position where it confronts an operator. A read window
confronting a read area of a code symbol attached to a commodity is
disposed on the front of the housing, and an image pickup section
including a CCD area sensor having, as an image pickup area, a read
area of the code symbol is incorporated at the back of the read
window. An LED light source irradiates illuminating light for
illuminating the code symbol, which is necessary for the area CCD
sensor to take an image of the code symbol. The LED light source
has an optical axis nonparallel to a read optical axis of the area
image pickup device and guides the illuminating light to the read
area from a position above the area image pickup device.
Inventors: |
Yamada; Yoshiya; (Shizuoka,
JP) ; Iizaka; Hitoshi; (Shizuoka, JP) ;
Mihara; Hidemi; (Shizuoka, JP) ; Tsuchiya; Osamu;
(Shizuoka, JP) ; Naito; Hidehiro; (Shizuoka,
JP) |
Assignee: |
TOSHIBA TEC KABUSHIKI
KAISHA
Tokyo
JP
|
Family ID: |
41132342 |
Appl. No.: |
13/272519 |
Filed: |
October 13, 2011 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
12417302 |
Apr 2, 2009 |
8061612 |
|
|
13272519 |
|
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Current U.S.
Class: |
235/454 |
Current CPC
Class: |
G06K 7/10732
20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
235/454 |
International
Class: |
G06K 7/14 20060101
G06K007/14 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Apr 4, 2008 |
JP |
2008-097822 |
Claims
1. A code symbol reading apparatus, comprising: a housing; a read
window positioned in the housing; an image pickup section having
disposed in the housing and having an area image pickup device, an
image pickup area of the area image pickup device through the read
window being a read area of a code symbol attached to a commodity;
and an illuminating section that has an optical axis nonparallel to
a read optical axis of the area image pickup device and illuminates
the read area from an upper position.
2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the area image
pickup device is disposed to direct a read optical axis
downward.
3. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the illuminating
section is positioned at a position where an optical axis angle
with respect to a plane orthogonal to the read optical axis of the
area image pickup device in the read area is not less than 15
degrees.
4. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the illuminating
section is positioned at a position where an optical axis angle
with respect to a plane including the code symbol held in a
direction orthogonal to the read optical axis of the area image
pickup device is not less than 15 degrees.
5. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the area image
pickup device is a CCD area sensor.
6. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the illuminating
section has an LED as a light source.
7. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the housing provides
an operation section at an upper part thereof to extend from a
front surface of the housing, and the illuminating section is
positioned below the operation section.
8. The apparatus according to claim 7, wherein a front part of the
operation section is inclined downward.
9. The apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the operation
section is coupled with the housing via a coupling portion.
10. The apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the illuminating
section provided at the coupling portion.
11. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a
customer display.
Description
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
[0001] This application is a Division of application Ser. No.
12/417,302 filed on Apr. 2, 2009; the entire contents of which are
incorporated herein by reference.
[0002] This application is based upon and claims the benefit of
priority from Japanese Patent Application No. 2008-097822, filed on
Apr. 4, 2008, the entire content of which is incorporated herein by
reference.
TECHNICAL FIELD
[0003] The present invention relates to a code symbol reading
apparatus which takes an image of a code symbol, such as a barcode,
attached to a commodity by an area image pickup device such as a
CCD area sensor and reads code information of the code symbol.
BACKGROUND
[0004] A code symbol reading apparatus optically reads an image of
a code symbol, such as a barcode, attached to a commodity, decodes
the read image and acquires code information (commodity code or the
like) of the code symbol. JP-A-2005-025311 discloses, as one of
this kind of code symbol reading apparatuses, an apparatus using an
area image pickup device such as a CCD area sensor: The code symbol
reading apparatus takes an image of, for example, a barcode
attached to a commodity by the CCD area sensor as the area image
pickup device, decodes the output of the CCD area sensor and
acquires code information of the barcode, that is, a commodity
code. This kind of code symbol reading apparatus requires that an
illuminating apparatus illuminates a read area of a code symbol
such as a barcode, which is an image pickup area of the CCD area
sensor. As an example, the illuminating apparatus illuminates the
read area in such a manner that plural LED light sources surround
the CCD area sensor. Also in the code symbol reading apparatus
disclosed in JP-A-2005-025311, plural LEDs to illuminate the
barcode are arranged around the CCD area sensor.
[0005] A code symbol reading apparatus of a stationary type that is
disposed on a counter on which a basket for containing commodities
to be purchased is placed, that is, what is called a vertical
scanner is widespread (see, for example, JP-A-11-339123). The
stationary type vertical scanner is typically arranged so that a
read window of a read surface confronts the operator. The operator
holds a code symbol such as a barcode attached to a commodity to
the read window and reads the code symbol. Accordingly, when the
area image pickup device is used in the vertical scanner, light
from the LED light sources arranged around the area image pickup
device enters the eyes of the operator. By this, the operator feels
glare.
SUMMARY
[0006] An object of the invention is to provide a code symbol
reading apparatus with which, even when configured in a vertical
scanner type code symbol reading apparatus in which a read surface
confronts an operator, the operator does not feel glare due to
illumination light for illuminating a code symbol.
[0007] According to an aspect of the invention, a code symbol
reading apparatus includes a housing that is disposed on a counter
on which a basket for containing a commodity to be purchased is
placed and is disposed at a position where the housing confronts an
operator, a read window positioned on a front of the housing, an
image pickup section having an area image pickup device that is
arranged at the back of the read window and has, as an image pickup
area, a read area of a code symbol attached to a commodity, and an
illuminating section that has an optical axis nonparallel to a read
optical axis of the area image pickup device and illuminates the
read area from a position above the area image pickup device.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0008] A more complete appreciation of the present invention and
many of the attendant advantages thereof will be readily obtained
as the same becomes better understood by reference to the following
detailed description when considered in connection with the
accompanying drawings, wherein:
[0009] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a checkout system including
a barcode scanner (code symbol reading apparatus) of an embodiment
of the invention;
[0010] FIG. 2 is a schematic vertical sectional side view of the
barcode scanner; and
[0011] FIG. 3 is a schematic view showing a relation among a read
optical axis of a CCD area sensor (area image pickup device), a
reading target object and an optical axis of an LED light source
(illuminating section).
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0012] An embodiment of the invention will be described with
reference to FIG. 1 to FIG. 3. A code symbol reading apparatus of
the embodiment is a barcode scanner 101 which is connected to a POS
terminal 11 and is used as a peripheral equipment of the POS
terminal 11 used for a checkout system 1 in a supermarket or the
like.
[0013] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the checkout system 1
including the barcode scanner 101 (code symbol reading apparatus)
and the POS terminal 11. The checkout system 1 includes the POS
terminal 11 mounted on a checkout stand 51 and the barcode scanner
101 as the code symbol reading apparatus connected to the POS
terminal 11 such that data can be freely transmitted and received.
The barcode scanner 101 is of a stationary type that is fixed to a
commodity receiving surface 152 provided on the upper surface of a
counter 151 having a laterally long table shape. A basket 153 for
containing a commodity A is placed on the commodity receiving
surface 152.
[0014] The basket 153 can be conceptually categorized into a first
basket 153a in which the customer puts the commodity A to be
purchased and which is placed on the commodity receiving surface
152 of the counter 151, and a second basket 153b positioned at a
position opposite to the first basket 153a across the barcode
scanner 101. The first basket 153a is positioned at an upstream
side in the flow direction of the customer, and the second basket
153b is positioned at a downstream side in the flow direction of
the customer. The direction of the flow of the customer is
indicated by an arrow in FIG. 1.
[0015] The barcode scanner 101 is of a vertical scanner type that
is disposed on the commodity receiving surface 152 of the counter
151 at the farther side when viewed from the operator. That is, the
barcode scanner 101 includes a housing 102 having a thin
rectangular shape with a wide width and a narrow depth, a read
window 103 is arranged on the front of the housing 102, and an
operation section 104 is attached to an upper part of the housing
102. The read window 103 confronts a read area RA for optically
reading a barcode BC as a code symbol attached to the commodity A
and is positioned on the front of the housing 102. In the
arrangement as stated above, the read area RA of the barcode BC is
positioned above the commodity receiving surface 152 and confronts
the read window 103. The operation section 104 extends to the
nearer side than the front of the housing 102, and its front part
is inclined downward. The operation section 104 includes a display
106 on which a touch panel 105 is laminated, and a keyboard 107 in
which plural keytops are arranged in matrix shape is provided to be
adjacent to the right of the display 106. In FIG. 1, a vertically
long groove shown on the immediately right of the keyboard 107 is a
card read groove 108 of a not-shown card reader for reading a
magnetic card such as a credit card. In the barcode scanner 101, a
customer display 109 for providing information to the customer is
installed on the back, left and farther side of the operation
section 104 when viewed from the operator.
[0016] In the checkout system 1 of the structure as stated above,
the operator reads the barcode BC attached to the commodity A
contained in the first basket 153a by the barcode scanner 101, and
puts the commodity A into the second bracket 153b after the barcode
BC is read. The barcode scanner 101 reads the barcode BC attached
to the commodity A to be purchased by the customer. The barcode
scanner 101 decodes the read barcode BC, analyzes the commodity
code that specifies the commodity A, and transmits the analyzed
commodity code to the POS terminal 11. The POS terminal 11 performs
a checkout process based on the commodity code transmitted from the
barcode scanner 101.
[0017] The checkout stand 51 on which the POS terminal 11 is
mounted is positioned at the end of the counter 151 so as to form
an L shape in combination with the counter 151. The operator can
efficiently perform the read operation of the barcode by the
barcode scanner 101 and the checkout operation by the POS terminal
11. Alternatively, a two-person system can be easily adopted in
which one shop clerk as an operator is engaged in the read
operation of the barcode by the barcode scanner 101, and another
shop clerk as a casher is engaged in the checkout operation by the
POS terminal 11.
[0018] FIG. 2 is a schematic vertical sectional side view of the
barcode scanner 101. The barcode scanner 101 incorporates a scanner
unit 110 in the housing 102. In the barcode scanner 101, an
illuminating section 111 is attached at a lower position of the
operation section 104. The scanner unit 110 incorporates an image
pickup board 114 provided with a CCD area sensor AS as an area
image pickup device, a lens 115 attached to the image pickup board
114, and an image processing board 116 attached to the lens 115 in
the inside of a unit housing 113 having, on one surface, an opening
recess 112 opening into a mortar shape.
[0019] The image pickup board 114 is fixed to the bottom of the
unit housing 113 so that a read optical axis A1 of the CCD area
sensor AS is coincident with the center of the opening recess 112.
The image pickup board 114 includes an amplifier and an A/D
converter (neither of them is shown) to amplify the output of the
CCD area sensor AS, convert it into a digital signal and output
it.
[0020] The lens 115 is attached to the image pickup board 114 while
its optical axis is coincident with the optical axis of the CCD
area sensor AS.
[0021] The image processing board 116 is fixed to the periphery of
the lens 115. The image processing board 116 decodes the image of
the barcode BC taken by the CCD area sensor AS, which is converted
into the digital signal and is outputted from the image pickup
board 114, and analyzes the commodity code as the code information
symbolized by the barcode BC. The image processing board 116
outputs the analyzed commodity code to the POS terminal 11.
[0022] The housing 102 of the barcode scanner 101 incorporates the
scanner unit 110 constructed as stated above while the position of
the opening recess 112 is positioned at the read window 103. In
this state, in the CCD area sensor AS provided on the image pickup
board 114, the read optical axis A1 is directed to the read area RA
positioned outside the read window 103. The lens 115 has such a
focal distance that the reflected light from the read area is
focused on the CCD area sensor AS. The read area RA is the area for
optically reading the barcode BC attached to the commodity A as
stated above. By this, the read area RA is made an image pickup
area IA, and the CCD area sensor AS provided on the image pickup
board 114 and the lens 115 can take an image of the barcode BC
positioned in the read area RA as the image pickup area IA. Thus,
the image pickup board 114, the lens 115 and the image processing
board 116 constitute an image pickup section 117 while the read
area RA is made the image pickup area IA.
[0023] As shown in FIG. 2, the read optical axis A1 of the CCD area
sensor AS provided on the image pickup board 114 is arranged
horizontally. On the other hand, in another embodiment, the scanner
unit 110 may be incorporated in the housing 102 so that the read
optical axis A1 is directed downward. In this case, it is desirable
that the read optical axis A1 of the CCD area sensor AS is set to
be inclined downward at an angle of about 15 degrees. By this, even
when the operator holds the barcode BC attached to the commodity A
upward and moves it in front of the read window 103, it is possible
to raise the possibility that the barcode BC is read by the barcode
scanner 101.
[0024] Further, the scanner unit 110 includes a transparent
protective cover 118 at the opening recess 112. The protective
cover 118 serves also as a cover section of the read window
103.
[0025] The illuminating section 111 has an LED 111a as a light
source. In the light source by the LED 111a, its optical axis A2 is
directed to the read area RA for optically reading the barcode BC
attached to the commodity A. The optical axis A2 crosses the read
optical axis A1 of the CCD area sensor AS provided on the image
pickup board 114 in the read area RA. Accordingly, the illuminating
section 111 has the optical axis nonparallel to the read optical
axis A1 and illuminates the read area RA from a position above the
CCD area sensor AS of the image pickup board 114. In the
illuminating section 111 as stated above, only the single LED light
source may be included, or plural LED light sources may be
included.
[0026] The illuminating section 111 is positioned at a coupling
portion between the housing 102 of the barcode scanner 101 and the
operation section 104, and is positioned below the operation
section 104. By this, the illuminating light from the illuminating
section 111 does not directly enter the eyes of the operator who
operates the barcode scanner 101.
[0027] FIG. 3 is a schematic view showing a relation among the read
optical axis A1 of the CCD area sensor AS (point S in FIG. 3)
provided on the image pickup board 114, the barcode BC as the
reading target object and the optical axis A2 of the illuminating
section 111 having the LED light source (point L in FIG. 3). As
shown in FIG. 3, the illuminating section 111 is positioned at a
position where an angle of the optical axis A2 not less than 15
degrees is obtained with respect to the plane including the barcode
BC held in the direction orthogonal to the read optical axis A1 of
the CCD area sensor AS. In other words, the illuminating section
111 is positioned at the position where the angle of the optical
axis with respect to the plane orthogonal to the read optical axis
A1 of the CCD area sensor AS is not less than 15 degrees.
[0028] When the angle of the optical axis A2 with respect to the
plane including the barcode BC held in the direction orthogonal to
the read optical axis A1 of the CCD area sensor AS is not less than
15 degrees, the image of the barcode BC held at such an angle can
be suitably acquired. That is, when the optical axis A2 of the
illuminating section 111 has such an angle, light of intensity
sufficient for the CCD area sensor AS to take an image of the
barcode BC can be given to the barcode BC.
[0029] In the structure as stated above, the LED light source of
the illuminating section 111 has the optical axis A2 nonparallel to
the read optical axis A1 and illuminates the read area RA from the
position above the CCD area sensor AS provided on the image pickup
board 114. By this, the light of the LED light source illuminated
from the illuminating section 111 hardly enters the eyes of the
operator. Accordingly, even in the vertical scanner type barcode
scanner 101 in which the read surface confronts the operator, the
operator does not feel glare due to the illuminating light to
illuminate the barcode BC attached to the commodity A.
[0030] Especially, in this embodiment, the operation section 104 is
provided at the upper part of the housing 102, the front of the
operation section 104 extends to the nearer side than the front of
the housing 102, and is disposed to be inclined downward. The
illuminating section 111 is positioned below the operation section
104 as stated above. Thus, the light of the LED light source
irradiated from the illuminating section 111 hardly directly enters
the eyes of the operator.
[0031] Obviously, numerous modifications and variations of the
present invention are possible in light of the above teachings.
[0032] It is therefore to be understood that within the scope of
the appended claims, the invention may be practiced otherwise than
as specifically described herein.
* * * * *